You might have noticed a lot of players spitting out their water at the World Cup.

They could be rinsing out their dry mouths, but scientists think they might be doing something called “carb rinsing.”

This is where you swirl a carbohydrate solution around your mouth to trick your body into thinking energy is coming.

This way you may give your brain a boost to stay alert.

It isn’t common practise yet, but sports scientists believe the technique is on the rise.

Football fans were heartbroken all over England on Wednesday night. The team was beaten by Croatia in the World Cup semifinals in Russia, leading everyone across the nation to accept the fact it’s not coming home – not until 2022, anyway.

Looking back on the memories of the World Cup that wasn’t to be, you might remember seeing a lot of spitting. Not just normal spitting, but players rinsing their mouths out with water and producing a stream of water, rather than drinking it.

England’s captain Harry Kane seemed to do this a lot, squirting water from his bottle into his mouth only for it to come back out again – as did midfielder Dele Alli, and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

According to the New York Times, this could be a fitness technique called “carb rinsing.” Drinking a lot of water can lead to bloating, so it makes sense for players to wash their mouths out without swallowing if they are feeling dry. But carb rinsing is where you wash your mouth out deliberately with a carbohydrate solution, which essentially tricks your body into performing better.

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Getty Images

It works by receptors in the mouth sensing the carbs and sending signals to the pleasure and reward centers of the brain, saying there is more energy on the way. This makes the muscles work harder, without the negative effects of carbohydrate drinks like stomach heaviness and cramps.

The England team didn’t discuss its nutritional tactics at the World Cup, the NY Times says, but a source familiar with the team’s regimen said carb rinsing was “standard practice.”

A study published in 2017 in the European Journal of Sport Science found that carb rinsing boosted performance in a range of activities. The research team from Coventry University tested 12 healthy men in their 20s, and found after carb rinsing they could jump higher, do more bench presses and squats, sprint faster, and were more alert.

Another study from 2015, published in International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, found that 12 competitive male athletes experienced less fatigue after carb rinsing.

But carb rinsing hasn’t always been found to be successful. In one study from 2017, published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, 15 female runners raced for 60 minutes, once with carb rinsing and once without. The carb solution apparently had no impact on their times. This may be because carb rinsing has more of an impact on quick, immediate activities such as sprinting, rather than endurance events like long distance running.

David Ferguson, an assistant professor of exercise physiology at Michigan State, told the NY Times that rinsing seems to help players feel less fatigued and enhances their attention – something that is very important after more than 90 minutes of play.

Rather than making them run faster or kick harder, “it’s simply going to maximize their focus so that they are not succumbing to fatigue, so they can put themselves in the right position to make the right play,” Ferguson said.

When England and Columbia’s match went to penalties, for example, players may have benefitted from a brain boost with carb rinsing.

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Players seem to be carb rinsing more now than they did in the past.

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Steve Dykes / Getty

“You’re going to do every trick in the book to try to maximize cognitive focus after two hours of a pretty intense match,” Trent Stellingwerff, a researcher of carb rinsing, told the NY Times. “Is there science behind it in a soccer model? Not that I’m aware of yet. Is it going to hurt? Absolutely not. If the athletes believe in it and it’s part of their mojo, will that work? You betcha it will.”

It’s not a widespread technique yet, according to Asker Jeukendrup, an exercise physiologist and sports nutritionist at the University of Birmingham, but it definitely seems to be on the rise.

“I hope it’s all deliberate,” he said. “It’s good to see science making its way into real sport.”

Cristiano Ronaldo, the Real Madrid and Portugal national team striker, is one of the best soccer players in the world. He has four Champions League titles, helped Portugal win the UEFA European Championship in 2016, and is set to star for his country in the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Ronaldo is incredibly gifted. He is one of the fittest, most athletic sportsmen in world football today. To maintain an edge over his opponents, he has to stay motivated on the training ground and ensure he eats right.

We looked into what the world’s biggest soccer star eats and drinks to stay on top of his game. Here’s everything Ronaldo has for breakfast, lunch, and dinner:

This is Cristiano Ronaldo, the powerful forward who plays for Real Madrid and the Portugal national team. The 33-year-old scored 43 goals for Real last season, and begins his World Cup campaign today.

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Reuters

Ronaldo does not deprive himself of good food even though he is a world-class athlete. Judging from this photo he is a big fan of big breakfasts featuring pastries, cold cuts, European cheeses, and fresh fruit — all washed down with a latte and juice.

Source: Instagram

Being Portuguese, and specifically hailing from Madeira, Ronaldo has a taste for fruits and juices, according to Le10Sport. Ronaldo’s preferences include pear, apple, or pineapple juice, but he is also very fond of coffee.

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Shutterstock

Source: Le10Sport

Ronaldo has a love of fish and likes gilt-head bream, swordfish, and sea bass the most.

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Shutterstock

Source: Le10Sport

Ronaldo loves fish so much that he will even incorporate it into dishes he prepares himself, like taking sardines straight from the tin and dumping them onto fresh bread. He captioned this photo: “Do you want some?” Not everybody said yes.

Source: Instagram

As Ronaldo trains a lot, he drinks plenty of fluids. He said: “I stay hydrated with a sports drink that gives me energy for training and matches. It has a mix of carbohydrates that boosts endurance and is lower than many other sports drinks in sugar. It also contains electrolytes to help with hydration and vitamin B12 that fights fatigue.”

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Reuters

Source: Four Four Two

Ronaldo has said that he eats “simple whole foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.” He ticks a lot of those boxes in the dish below, which might explain why he looks so excited to tuck into this plate of hard-boiled eggs, tuna fish, and tomatoes.

Source: Four Four Two and Instagram

It’s not all about fish for Ronaldo, as he also enjoys a steak. In fact, when he eats out at restaurants, he frequently orders steak and salad. He probably wears a shirt when he goes out, though. Probably.

Source: Goal.com and Instagram

Regardless of how otherworldly his soccer skills are, Ronaldo is still human and does not live exclusively on healthy foods. Here he is tucking into a piece of chocolate.

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Reuters

He also likes birthday cake.

Source: Instagram

His absolute favourite dish is “Bacalhau à Brás,” and is something he might have at dinner. Bacalhau is made from shreds of salted cod, onions, and matchstick-sized fried potatoes. It is served on a heap of scrambled eggs and garnished with things like olives and parsley.

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Shutterstock

Source: Goal.com

As Ronaldo spends most of his time in Spain, it might be safe to assume there’s Rioja in those glasses. However, he has said previously that he avoids alcohol — so maybe it’s grape juice. He does like juice, after all. Cheers!